Valve for piano or organ players.



PATBNTED FEB. 4, 1908;

H. M. SMITH. VALVE'I'OR PIANO 0R O'RGAN PLAYERS.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. a. 190e.

TNI Hollis rlrlls no.. WASNIHHTON. n. c.

UNITED sTATns PATENT onirica.

HARRY M. SMITH, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS', ASSIGNOR TO LYONrt IIEALY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

Specication of Tletters Patent.

Patented Feb. 4, 1908.

Application filed November 3, 1906. Serial Noll-IQQ.

T o all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY M. SMITH, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Chicago, Cook county, Illinois, have invented a certain. new and useful Improvement in Valves for Piano er Organ Players, of which the following is a specification.

rFhis invention relates to improvements in secondary valves intended for use in mechanical musical instruments, though in some of its features it may be of more general application, and has for its object the provision of a valve which shall be efficient and durable in operation and economical in the cost of manufacture. The kind of valve which I prefer to use for this purpose is of the doubleacting type or one having two active outer valve-faces which are adapted to open and close upper and lower valve-ports in seats cooperating with said faces. It is also desirable to have the valve so constructed that its parts may be easily assembled in place and readily removed for the purpose of repair or substitution.

'Io the foregoing and other useful ends, my invention consists in matters hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a sectional view showing a piano or organ player provided with the valve arrangement embodying the principle of my invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarge d detail section of the said valve arrangement. Fig. 3 is a plan view of one of the valve-seats.

It will be readily understood that the general construction of the piano or organ player may be of any suitable known or approved character. As shown, it comprises the usual tracker-board A, the music-rolls B and B1, and a motor C it being understood that the said rolls carry the usual strip of perforated music. Other familiar elements of an instrument of this character consist of the fingers D and the pneumatics F1, together with the treadle-operated bellows or exhaust apparatus F. 'Ihe primary valves within the easing G may be of any suitable or desired character, but the secondary valves within the casing Il are, as previously explained, preferably constructed in accordance with my invention.

In Fig. l a portion of the casing II is broken away for the purpose of showing one of the secondary valves I, and in Fig. 2 this valve is shown on an enlarged scale. As illustrated, the construction preferably comprises a valve-board i provided with a vertical chamber or passage il, desirably open at top and bottom, and communicating at one side with the longitudinal passage i2. At its upper end, the valve-chamber i1 is provided with a valve t3, and at its lower end with a similar valve-seat i". As shown, each valveseat consists of a fiat disk apertured at its center and provided on its inner surface with an annular offset or seat adapting it to partially fit within the chamber il. For example, as shown in Fig. 3, the valve-seat is consists of a disk provided centrally with the air passage 'i5 and with a bearing i for a valvestem, and on its under side the said valveseat t3 is provided with an annular and marginal offset or seat i7. In this way, said valve-seat is adaptedy to partially fit within the open upper end of the valve-chamber il, being provided with a marginal flange, so to speak, which rests upon the upper surface of the valve board i. rI`he valve-seat i4 is of similar formation, with the exception that its central opening or bearing is for the valvestem is somewhat larger than the opening cl. The said valve-stem i is preferably provided with a lower enlarged portion il, which latter in effect provides a shoulder i and a foot t. The upper and lower valvedisks i and il* are mounted upon the smaller diameter of the valve-stem i", and are separated by any suitable means such (for eX- ample) as a ball i, the two disks and separating ball or member being strung upon the valve-stem in the manner shown in Fig. 2. Preferably, the disks and said ball or se arating member are adapted to fit tight y upon the said stem and to remain in their proper places thereon when once properly adjusted. As shown, the two valve-disks, separated by the ball or separating member, are crowded down upon the shoulder im. Both valve-seats are provided with smooth inner surfaces, being made of any suitable or desired material. In this way, the lower surface of the, disk 'im is adapted to normally rest upon the smooth inner or upper surface of'the valve-seat i, and to thereby close the passage with which the latter is provided. rIhe outer or upper surface of the disk 'im is adapted to bear upon the smooth inner or lower surface of the valve-seat fs that is t0 say, when the valve-disks and valve-stem as a Whole are raised from their normal position. As shown, a palate il, or other suitable pneumatic device, communicating with a windway @'17, is provided as a means for raising and lowering the rigid or operative member cornposed of the two valve-disks and the valvestem, the said palate or other pneumatic device being adapted to engage the foot or enlargement i12 carried by the lower end otl the valve-stem.

The two valve-seats 'i3 and i* can be made of any suitable material; but as a matter of further and specific improvement, nd that celluloid gives very good results. Each valve-seat constitutes both a seat for one valve-disk and a bearing for the valve-stem. With the provision ot' the shoulder i, the valve-disks cannot slip down upon the valvestem, and cannot become disarranged or thrown out of adjustment relative to each other and relative tothe valve-seats.` The construction, although comparatively simple, is etlective in securing a certain and positive opening and closing action, and in addition, no screw-thread adjustments are necessary. Furthermore, the parts are easily assembled or separated from each other.

What I claim as my invention is:

l. A piano or organ player comprising a valve-chamber, apertured valve-seats iitted within the upper and lower ends of said chamber, a valvestem provided with a shoulder and adapted to slide up and down in the bearing a'tliorded by said valve-seats, a couple ot' valve-disks fitted upon said stem, and a separating member iitted upon said stem and separating the two Valve-disks, said valve-disks and their separating member being so adjusted as to rest upon said shoulder.

2. A piano or organ player comprising a valve-chamber, apertured valve-seats applied to the upper and lower ends of said chamber, a shouldered valve-stem extending through both of said valve-seats, and a couple of separated valve-disks itted upon the said stem and held against the shoulder thereon, said disks being adapted to play between the said valve-seats.

3. A piano or organ player comprising a tracker-board, and perforated music, fingers actuated by power pneumatics, exhaust apparatus, a horizontally disposed Valve-board provided with a valve-chamber, valve-seats consisting of flat apertured disks 'litted within the upper and lower ends of said chamber, a shouldered. valve-stem extending through both of said valve-seats, a couple of separated valve-disks mounted upon said stem and resting upon the shoulder thereof, each valve-seat having an integral portion serving as a bearing for the valve-stem, and a pneumatically-actuated diaphragm arranged to engage the lower end ot' said valve-stein.

4l. A piano or organ player comprising a valve chamber, aperturedvalve-seats fitting within the upper and lower ends ot' said chamber, a valve-stein adapted to slide up and down in the bearing al'lorded by said valve-seats, a couple ot valve disks 'fitted upon said stem, and. a separating member 'fitting upon said stem and separating said valve disks.

Signed by me at Chicago, Illinois, this 28th day of June, 1906.

HARRY M. SMITH. lVitnesses:

ALBERT JOHN SAUsER., F. H. DRURY. 

